There were far too many big plays and outstanding individual performances during Eastern Washington's 38-31 overtime FCS playoff win over North Dakota State to fit into Sunday's S-R, so I've cobbled together some additional post-game quotes and links to related stories below.

Read on. But before you do, check out these game photos shot by S-R photographers.

 

For those who missed it, here is the link to my game story. You can read what S-R columnist John Blanchette thought about the game -- and Bo Levi Mitchell's goat-to-hero performance here, and you can read the game story that appeared in The Forum of Fargo Moorhead here.

In addition, I've included this link to a notebook in The Forum, and this link to a story on Villanova's upset of top-seeded Appalachian State on Saturday.

And now for some additional post-game quotes from coaches and players involved in the EWU-North Dakota State thriller:

EWU Coach Beau Baldwin

On his team's late-game heroics: "You just deal with the fact that this is where we're at. If we had not come out on top, I would have come into the lockerroom and hugged everyone and congratulated them on a fight to the end. No matter how bad things got, we never stopped competing and fighting. I'm sure everyone had some doubt. I never doubted that our guys were going to compete on every play until the final second. We found a way."

On the playoff format:  "I love it. I talked to Coach Bohl before the game and he feels the same. He's been to the big level. I haven't experienced a bowl. He first was in the playoffs in 1984, and he had a couple of years where they weren't eligible. He told me he's been to bowl games and nothing compares to the feeling his guys were having right now. That was right out of his mouth. For me, it's all I've known. I've never been to the bowl level. I can't think of anything better than the playoffs. It's just a great feeling after a win. Each game is do or die.''

On having three home games: "It's awesome. Anytime you play at home, its a great thing. It's great for the community, Eastern Washington, the fans and our players. We are familiar with our surroundings. We get to stay at home instead of going on the road. We'd be going on the road if we had to, and we'd jump right on it and loved it."

On Jesse Hoffman's kick return for TD: "We weren't doing a lot on offense.That happened right at the start of the second half, so you don't know what's going to happen. Looking back now and what happened on offense, it makes it that much better. It's one of those things that at the time you don't realize how big a play it is. It's always big to respond like that. We got the lead back by seven and that was big."

On waiting for final play to be reviewed: "I''ve never been through it. We don't face it at our level, only when we've played Nevada, Texas Tech and Colorado. It doesn't happen often. It's a good thing to get it right. When you look back on the game, three plays were reviewed and none were overturned. It shows what a great job the officials did the entire game."

On how the game played out: "It's been a roller coaster year like that. Not in terms of wins and losses, but we've played a number of close games, but none that I would classify like that. Our guys had to step up and make plays. The weather became a factor. It was a factor for both teams. It turned into a grind for a while where neither offense was able to do a whole lot.Their offense did a better job of going down hill. We were able to find a way to throw the ball late in the game. Bo (Levi Mitchell) played some of his best ball late in the game and in overtime."

On late 90-yard drive: "I can't put my finger on it. Our guys were really focused in, knowing exactly what to do at that moment. There isn't a question of if you are going to throw the ball, not a question of if we are going to go for it on fourth down. We did that twice. There isn't a question of it we are going to line up quick. Sometimes you lose that focus and the idea of what you have to do. When you have to go 90 yards, the guys maybe lock in a little bit more. We've been in situations like this and the guys have found a way."

On performance of sophomore wideout Nick Edwards: "Nick Edwards makes huge plays. He had a huge game last week in the playoffs against Southeast Missouri State. He had eight catches and a huge touchdown that gave us a 24-17 lead at the time. This week, he had a huge catch down the middle on that last drive. That was the biggest one of the drive. The other ones where just little chippers that NDSU was okay with giving up as long as they didn’t concede a big one, and then Nick comes up with that exact play. I was really proud of both Nick and Tyler [Hart].  Yes, Nick had an early drop, and Tyler had an early fumble, but both those guys came back with huge plays in the fourth quarter and overtime. That is what we talk about. History is history, good or bad. You just have to move on to the next play, next situation and just fight like heck no matter what happened to you a minute ago."

On Bo Levi Mitchell's ability to foget about turnovers:"He's got a good mentality. He doesn't let it flow into the next drive or the next quarter. Everytime where he's been in those situations, he's playes some of his best football. You can't teach that. Some guys have it and some guys don't. By all means we want to clean some things up. He needs better ball leverage in the pocket when it is wet. The interceptions, the first one just jumped the guy in the flat. Looking back, I might have called something different. I don't want to point the finger all at him. I could have put him in a better situation. On the second one, he was trying to do the right thing. He just needs to throw it all the way out of bounds. But he's good at flushing things out that are bad."

On Taiwan Jones: "His performance was great once again. You can practice all you want and prepare by watching film, but until you go against him live, you don't understand the angles you need to take. It's not just the big runs. It's the running through tackles, how hard he runs. We knew it would be a phsyical game."

EWU linebacker J.C. Sherritt

On waiting for review of final play: "That was something else. I haven't been a part of something like that. I'm a pessimist when it comes to things like that. I was expecting the worst. I was trying to get our defense ready to go back out. Then, the game was over. It was awesome."

On turnovers the defense forced: "That's our mentality. It's the seventh or eighth time we've been put in a game like that. Nobody panics. We feed off each other. No one is scared or panicked.''

 

 

NDSU head coach Craig Bohl

On game, in general:  "Congratulations to Eastern Washington. The playoff format is great. It's unfortunate someone had to lose a game like that. Eastern Washington really played hard and made plays when it had to."

On play of EWU's Taiwan Jones:  "He's a phenomenal player. Tony Samuel, the Southeast Missouri State coach, called me up and told me his speed is remarkable. I knew his speed was great, but I thought he was much more elusive today. He did a nice job."

On Eagles' game-tying 90-yard drive:  "That's where I'd like to give credit to them. When you get to this level, with eight teams playing, there are great competitors out there. They did a phenomenal job on that drive."

 

.

---

---